Animal rights demonstration at Agresearch

After an inspiring weekend of networking, education and workshops at the bi-annual Animal Rights Convergence a group headed out to Upper Hutt to target a publicly-funded vivisection lab.

Easter Monday and most of the Agresearch scientists were probably relaxing in the comfort and freedom of their homes and the company of family and friends. Not so the non-human animals that are the subject of their research. For these individuals, life consists of metal cages, mutilation, chronic pain and eventually the 'release' of untimely death and dissection.

Agresearch is a taxpayer funded organisation and their complex at Wallaceville in Upper Hutt, Wellington is one of five around the country that between them torture and kill around 50,000 animals a year. Although the dog breeding colony at Wallaceville was shut down a few months ago, 6 puppies are still being used in virological tests and experiments continue on many other species of animals. Agresearch refuses to supply exact information to the public despite Official Information Act requests by the researchers of the National Anti-Vivisection Campaign (NAVC) whose information was the basis for the choice of Agresearch as a target for protest action.

Fresh from the Animal Rights conference, about fifty people took a train out to Wallaceville and at around 3pm began a lively and noisy demonstration around the perimeter fence of the Agresearch complex. Some demonstrators climbed the low front fence but police soon shut them down, threatening arrests for trespass. Wellington Police were fairly restrained in their approach for a change but with at a cop-activist ratio of about 1-5 there was very little chance of them losing their dominance over the situation.

Chants of "Vivisection is a lie, animals and people die", "Blood, blood, blood on your hands" and "All pain, no gain" amongst others continued for at least 2 hours as the group moved around the perimeter fence and back to the main entrance to the delight of camera-happy mainstream media and the bemusement of locals, some of whom tooted support from cars while others heckled activists from the their driveways.

A number of locals were given leaflets about Agresearch and discussed the issue with activists, so hopefully a local campaign against the Wallaceville complex can be launched. A well-publicised communtiy meeting to debate the issue might be a good next move for anti-vivisection campaigners.

A number of independent photographers and videographers were also present and hopefully we'll get some photos and film of the demo soon.

-- although not an active member of any animal rights organisations, Danyl Strype is a vegetarian and advocates the elimination of all business and science practices that cause suffering to living things.